YMMV / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S9 E2 "The Beginning of the End – Part 2"

• Accidental Aesop:
  • If you know friends who have a tendency to drop surprises on you, it pays to be Crazy-Prepared in case they try to pull a fast one on you in the future.
  • Don't drop sudden, world-changing news at the very last minute on your friends, especially if they are like Twilight Sparkle.
• Base-Breaking Character: King Sombra has proven to be highly controversial within the episode.
  • Those who loved his Tragic Villain portrayal in the comic books disliked the use of Canon Discontinuity on display, believing that they made Sombra less interesting by making him into another Generic Doomsday Villain no different from other villains on the show. Others who either don’t read the comics or prefer he be evil don’t mind his portrayal here, with many praising the writers for making him a more interesting villain and for giving him more screen time compared to his lukewarm reception from his debut episode, which was criticized for lacking any sort of presence within the plot. Then there’s a third camp that didn’t mind that Sombra’s tragic backstory wasn’t included given the inconsistencies between what’s canon or not regarding the show and the comics, but felt he could’ve benefited from being more in tune with his silent, no nonsense portrayal seen in past episodes as opposed to his loud, boastful Large Ham characterization seen here.
  • Some consider Sombra's actions in these episodes to be Memetic Badass levels of awesome; he takes over the Crystal Empire in minutes, destroys the Elements of Harmony and the Tree of Harmony, brainwashes Ponyville's citizens into a new army and moves into Canterlot, and shows his magic is strong enough to rival alicorns and Starlight Glimmer, all of which proves he was a powerful and effective villain. Others consider him to be a Memetic Loser; he was defeated in seconds once the Mane Six showed up (twice), the Mane Six don’t need the physical Elements to use their powers and the Treehouse of Harmony sprouted the next episode (ergo those victories of his were pointless), and Celestia and Luna weren't around to defend Canterlot from him and Discord could have effortlessly stopped Sombra anytime he felt like it, so Sombra only got as far as he did by being where his enemies weren't and never posed any serious threat.
• Catharsis Factor: King Sombra’s second defeat was much more satisfying than his first. Originally, he was more of a terrifying force than a villain we want to see fail. But here, Sombra is shown to be a totally smug and arrogant monster who clearly enjoys mind raping and brainwashing innocent ponies. Thus it was immensely satisfying to watch our 6 heroes disintegrate that arrogant bastard into dust. And Sombra’s disbelieving shock at how they surpassed his power without the elements only made it so much sweeter.
• Fanfic Fuel:
  • When exactly was the reign of Grogar in Equestria and his battle with Gusty the Great? Since even Tirek heard tales of him when he was young, it's implied that he ruled the place when it was just forming after the events of Hearth's Warming or the early years of Celestia and Luna's reign before Discord. Indeed, referring to it at one point as "the land that would become Equestria" implies it was even earlier.
  • Where could Gusty the Great have hidden Grogar's bell?
  • Just like what happened with the Crystal Empire in Part 1, where were Flash Magnus and Stygian (if he moved to Canterlot)? They weren't shown to be among the mind-controlled mob.
  • When Starswirl felt the Tree of Harmony die, did the other Pillars too? If not, did Starswirl contact them too? Is this why Flash Magnus was nowhere to be seen in Canterlot? Were they off in other parts of Equestria fighting threats stirred up by Sombra or were aiding Starswirl and the Princesses in containing the Everfree Forest?
  • Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest. What did she do during the events of the episode?
• Fanon Discontinuity: Many fans of King Sombra's arc in the My Little Pony: FIENDship Is Magic and Siege of the Crystal Empire comics would rather ignore this premiere. And even some show-only viewers feel this way, seeing his new portrayal as wildly inconsistent with the no-nonsense enigma from "The Crystal Empire" and "The Cutie Re-Mark."
• Narm: Rarity yelling at King Sombra, "You leave Ponyville alone!" as if she's talking to a playground bully rather than an evil overlord.
• Older Than They Think: Twilight Sparkle succeeding Celestia as ruler of Equestria is something that was intended since Lauren Faust was planning out the series' route.
• Questionable Casting: Alvin Sanders's take on Sombra, much like his new persona, has been criticized by quite a few fans — who feel that it sounds too silly and Dissonant compared to his original, demonic Evil Sounds Deep. Others have Taken a Third Option — noting that Sanders can indeed sound intimidating (e.g., Cybron), while instead criticizing the direction he was given.
• They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Those who dislike King Sombra's new portrayal have criticized it as out-of-left-field Villain Decay after his distinct seriousness in "The Crystal Empire" and "The Cutie Re-Mark." It doesn't help that this also replaces his Character Development from the FIENDship Is Magic and Siege of the Crystal Empire comics, another controversial decision.

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